Research Collaborations

The following entities and institutions are collaborating with researchers at the Prechter Bipolar Research Program.
If you or your team is interested in collaborating with us, please contact our research director and principal investigator, Melvin McInnis, M.D.

Indiana University
Requested DNA samples from participants with bipolar disorder for a collaborative research study that involved youth at risk. These were parent samples of the children. Clinical data accompanied these samples.

Michigan State University
Requested saliva and plasma samples and associated clinical data for the purpose of examining whether the metabolites and/or inflammatory biomarkers correlate with depressive severity or suicidality.

University of Chicago
-Requested biomarker and clinical data for bipolar, MDD, and healthy control participants
-Requested clinical outcome data for patients with bipolar disorder

We are engaged in several national and international research projects in bipolar disorder.

The Pharmacogenomics of Bipolar Disorder study (PGBD) is a research study of patients with bipolar disorder and the role of genes in their response to medications. The study focuses on two of the most commonly used mood stabilizing medications, lithium and valproate (Depakote®). The goal is to identify the genes that influence whether a patient will have a good response to these medications. This study began in 2010 and recently the last patient was enrolled at the Michigan site. They will be monitored for two years to determine if they are responsive to lithium or valproate.

International:

National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC)

The NNDC’s mission is to develop and foster connections among members to use the power of our network, to advance scientific discovery, and to provide stigma free, evidence-based care to patients with depressive and bipolar illnesses. The NNDC envisions a global experience that is without stigma, where all patients with depressive and bipolar illnesses receive effective treatment, and access to improved quality of life.

The Prechter Program collaborates with many NNDC member sites; these are denoted by an asterisk (*) throughout this page.

Collaborative Research Grants Submitted

iPSC-based platform development for major psychiatric disorder modeling and discovery